In a return to its historic performance venue on February 21^st , 22nd, and 23^rd, Lowell House Opera (LHO) will be staging Dominick Argento’s Postcard from Morocco for its 79^th season [Tickets HERE]. As New England’s longest continually running professional opera company, LHO has long been at the intersection of artistic excellence and innovation.

Set to Dominick Argento’s vibrant score, Postcard from Morocco follows a group of strangers waiting at a train station at a time in which they are in search of meaning. While some characters grapple with uncertainty and the need to hide parts of their identity, others embrace intimate, romantic moments, inviting the audience to feel rather than fully understand. Some characters long to hide, yet desire to be seen. This paradox makes all characters sharply distinct, with each of them emotionally sophisticated and multidimensional. They confront reality in various ways—through paranoia, fantasy, and satire—and in various languages. Each character’s emotional sophistication highlights the myriad ways people cope with uncertainty and seek connection.

Director Haley Stark describes this production as, “An opera that pushes the limits of traditional staging, offering the audience a vibrant glimpse into the human condition.” The work is an evocative blend of music and mystery, where characters interact in fragmented vignettes, their words and melodies forming an intricate web of meaning. Argento’s haunting and textured score—laced with irony, beauty, and tension—creates an immersive dreamscape that lingers in listeners’ minds long after the show ends.

Elevating Opera at Harvard and Beyond

Founded in 1938, Lowell House Opera has been a pillar of artistic excellence in the Boston area for nearly eight decades. Unique among professional opera companies, LHO provides a rare collaborative space where students and young professionals perform side by side. This season’s return to Lowell House is a celebration of the company’s historic legacy, offering audiences an intimate and unforgettable operatic experience.

LHO’s educational mission is at the forefront of its productions. By working with professional artists, Harvard students gain invaluable experience in a high-caliber setting, preparing them for careers in music, theater, and beyond. The company’s commitment to innovation has also ensured that its productions remain fresh and dynamic, appealing to both seasoned opera-goers and those new to the art form.

The company has begun placing a stronger emphasis on contemporary compositions, particularly those by student composers. The Unknowable, an operatic ballet by Benjamin T. Rossen

[reviewed HERE], reimagines the genre by intertwining dance and vocal performance, exploring themes of intellectual curiosity and emotional discovery. NIGHTTOWN, by Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg, offers a bold operatic adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses, centering on Molly Bloom’s journey through imagination and self-reflection. By creating space for student-driven projects, LHO is ensuring that opera remains a relevant and evolving art form at Harvard and beyond. Executive Director Benjamin T. Rossen notes, “Lowell House Opera is not just about preserving the past; it’s about forging a new path for opera as a living, breathing, and ever-evolving form of storytelling.”

This commitment to contemporary work will continue in upcoming seasons, with plans for student-composed operas and experimental stagings that redefine what opera can be. With each production, LHO is proving that opera is not only alive but thriving, and that its future is as exciting as its storied past.

Story by Ioana Belu

Postcard from Morocco
February 21^st , 22^nd, and 23^rd [Tickets HERE]

Directed by Haley Stark
Produced by Ross Simmons, Lauren Perl, Ioana Belu, and Liza de Figueiredo
Music Directed by Benjamin T. Rossen